Shame
by Chibi AngelStar
Summary: Character death, shounenai, SetoxJou, living Gozaburo :: It's a shame Gozaburo's legend has to go on. It's a shame Seto's the pawn. It's a shame Jou got in the way. :: Rating change! YAY! xD
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The whole inspiration for this was when I was scrolling through the gallery of one of my favorite Yugioh sites, Dark Dreaming. The webmistress loves Seto and had this pic of Seto with his back, covered in red marks, to you. It's really a nice picture, simple, but nice. If you want to see the pic,tell me. I'll send you the link in a review reply.

Oh, and I'm totally ignoring the fact that Gozaburo is _supposed_ to be dead. Screw that. I may make- well, he is a bastard, but he makes things interesting.

I'm also ignoring that Seto is OOC in this fic. I have a theory down below, so if it makes you happy, skip down and read that, _then _come back up and read the story. Plus, would you consider Seto Gozaburo's stepson? I mean, I thought that was only if he married Seto's mother- _heaven forbid_! But oh well, I can't find any better word anyway so he's _step_related now.

EDIT: Um ... Edit/Preview was being mean to me so I had to upload it and seperate the paragraphs. I did the double spacing thing, but it still didn't work. Just saying so if anything seems to be in the wrong place, sorry.

---

It was a shame.

It was a shame spelt out in bloody red marks along the back of his stepson.

However, Gozaburo didn't care. He enjoyed making the boy pay for being with that juvenile delinquent. What with his unruly blond hair and lecherous eyes. The last thing Gozaburo needed was for his idiot pawn to indulge in something_ other_ than his business.

Although Gozaburo seemed to be on top of the business world at the moment, he wasn't so underneath. He was getting older and he wasn't about to let his legend die. Seto had to be _trained_. He had to be _brainwashed_. He couldn't get out of this with a simple cry or beg. Oh, no.

Gozaburo had the perfect plan. It was _so_ wonderful, in fact, that said man was too excited to even get a good night's sleep in. Tomorrow was the day that his plan would be executed. Along with that filthy mutt ...

-

Seto flipped a page in his textbook, looking for the answer to a question. Although he already knew the answer, he had nothing better to do seeing as how he had finished his book and wasn't content with staring at the covered blackboard. He looked up, scanning the room for that particular mop of messy blond hair. When no such mop of hair appeared, Seto raised his hand and asked to be excused from the room.

Once outside, the door still hanging lightly in his hand, the brunette ventured his way to the school roof. He knew all too well of where the boy would be. Bright sunlight splashed against his pale skin, reflecting off his body. He gave a silent chuckle as he took note of the blonde's swaying as he sat, back against the railing, and eyes closed. Seto grew close and bent down, capturing the boy's lips with his. Said boy grinned into the kiss and gave back, his hands flying up to Seto's face. The kiss soon broke off and Seto leaned against the railing, still standing as the wind brushed his cheeks.

"Seto Kaiba's _skipping class_. Oh, God, it's the _apocalypse_."

Seto reached to ruffle Jou's hair, silently smiling at the comment. In the back of his head, he was dying to say how he'd gladly skip class to be by the blonde's side. However, Gozaburo seemed to always be watching him. And besides, Jou wasn't quite ready for deep confessions of love.

"What's got you out here?" Jou asked, now holding Seto's hand and running this fingers over Seto's knuckles.

"I came to see you. You weren't in class." Seto said.

"Of course I wasn't. You expected me to be?"

"It'd be nice if you decided to start learning so ahead in life _I_ wouldn't be the one making the money and taking care of _you_."

Jou laughed before adding in his two cents, "But I need some TLC, and you're just the person to give it to me."

Seto lowered his head in his crossed arms so as to hide the blush. Most of Jounouchi's words seemed to get to him and when they did, Jou often teased him for it.

"I'm afraid Seto won't be giving any 'TLC' to anyone."

The voice made Seto's blood run cold. He froze, his breath caught in his throat. No. _No_. It _couldn't_ be.

"Jounouchi Katsuya, I believe? Seto talks about you a lot. Not to _me_, however."

Seto didn't bother turning as he heard the heavy padding of Gozaburo's leather shoes against the marble floor of the roof. Deep down he feared to look into Gozaburo's eyes now more than he had ever in his entire life.

"Who are _you_?" Jou's voice barked, as he moved to stand up.

"What? Seto doesn't talk about me? I'm Gozaburo Kaiba."

Jou's eyes blazed with fury at the name. It was _him_ that put those marks on Seto. On _his_ Seto. How dare he taint something so beautiful?

His and Seto's fingers were still intertwined. Neither seemed to be thinking of letting go. The union of their hands made Gozaburo frown.

"As I would hope you know, Kaiba Corp is a big company with many responsibilities. I, being the experienced business man I am, can easily balance this with the other aspects of life ... "

"Get on with it." Jou interrupted, his eyes glued to Gozaburo.

Gozaburo ignored the interruption and continued, "Seto, however, seems to be distracted. Encase you don't know, there's no room for distractions."

Jou looked at Seto pleadingly, hoping to get the boy back to earth. He yanked at Seto's hand, bringing him into a strong embrace. The blank expression on Seto's face stayed however. He didn't seem to be on the roof with them anymore.

"And do you know what we do with distractions? We get rid of them. So please, let go of him before I have to _make _you."

Gozaburo's hands were clasped together in front of him and an artificial smile played on his face. Whether he had to take Seto back by asking nicely or by force didn't matter. He was the key to his company. Mokuba was far too stubborn; he wouldn't do a thing without his big brother by his side.

The middle aged man stared on as Jou continued to hold on to the brunette. How dare he defy him? Anger boiled in his veins and Gozaburo waved his hand, a signal to the group of men standing behind him. They charged the two boys, immediately snatching Seto from Jou's hold, their hands still glued together.

"Let got of me! Put him down! _Seto_!"

Seto snapped to attention at the calling of his name from that voice. The feel of a strong hold pinning him down reminded him that Gozaburo had made an appearance. He looked around frantically for Jou. If Gozaburo did anything to him ...

"Ah, look! Seto's back with us now. Just in time to watch, aren't you?"

Seto glared at Gozaburo, "What are you talking about?"

Gozaburo chuckled as though Seto had told a joke. He gestured to the railing where two of Gozaburo's men where holding Jou down, his messy head of blond hair dangling over. Seto's azure eyes widened and he began to struggle and kick and scream. The fit only fueled Gozaburo's enjoyment.

"Well, what do you all say? Should we _kill him_?"

The venom dripping from Gozaburo's voice suffocated Jou and angered Seto. Jou groaned. He couldn't do this forever. His vision was becoming blurred and he could barely breath with a heavy arm of steel planted on his throat. He glanced at Seto's horror-stricken face and did his best to smile. The last thing he needed was to die watching his love's face in horror instead of smiling. It would haunt his soul.

The silence seemed all too unfitting for Gozaburo and his voice suddenly sliced through the thick layer of quiet.

"Drop him."

"No! Don't! Gozaburo, _please_!"

The stretched out 'please' sent a feeling of power through Gozaburo. All this time, all these long years. The only thing he had to do to get some respect from Seto was to threaten his little boyfriend? Why hadn't he thought of this before? Seto waited, pleading and begging inside that Gozaburo would reconsider. His heart was on his sleeve. What more could he give up?

"You have no matter in the say, Seto. I gave you your chance."

Seto's heart stopped beating as he watched the tennis shoe clad feet of Jou disappear over the edge of the railing. To his displeasure, his heart started beating again. The man let go of him, backing away a returning to his place next to his employer. The rest of the men also returned to Gozaburo's side. Gozaburo chuckled again, walking to stand in front of the bowing brunette.

"Well, Seto, I think its time you got up. Don't want anyone to find us up here now, do we?"

Seto stayed quiet, digging his fingernails into the floor. His body shook and his heart raced so loudly that Gozaburo _could_ hear it. Tears streamed down Seto's face and before he knew what he was doing, he stood up and punched Gozaburo. His fist collided with the square jaw and Gozaburo, caught off guard, stumbled back.

"Why you little-" Gozaburo hadn't the time to end his sentence as Seto pushed him over the railing.

The men stared, quiet and frozen in place. Seto watched as Gozaburo's body hit the pavement near Jou's limp form. As one of the men tried to contact someone, Seto broke down, gripping the railing. He cried and sobbed, his tears falling down to the pavement.

-

"Really? That's what happened?" A blond woman asked, putting down her feather duster.

Her companion, a well over 70 year old woman, nodded, "I remember it very well. Mr. Kaiba came home alone that day."

"What happened after?"

"Oh, he stayed in his room. Once I peeked in on him and his was sitting there on the floor, huddled in the corner. You wouldn't believe the marks on his back! Sometimes, I think Gozaburo Kaiba got what he _deserved_."

The younger woman gasped, "You don't mean that... _do_ you?"

"Of course I do! It was obvious Mr. Kaiba _loved_ that boy."

---

A/N: Another weird off track one shot by yours truly. Probably the longest one shot on this account. Anyway, my theory as I promised way, way above:

"_I think since Gozaburo's the reason Seto's all hard and cold, he'd be different if Gozaburo was still alive. If Gozaburo treated him bad enough, Seto could turn out more loving. You know, looking for someone to love him. The idea of Gozaburo being alive and feared by Seto interest me and that's about the end of it._"

Okay, that didn't turn out as I meant to. Did everyone get that? 'Cause if not, that's okay. It didn't even matter that much.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: _This_ is the chapter version. I want to make this as long as possible, so any suggestions are wonderful and luffed. I'm mainly leaving this to a Jou/Seto pairing. I know that I normally include little pairings off to the side, but not this time.

Gozaburo's views are the basics and the plot is pretty much your not-so-average "Romeo & Leo". Haha. In your face, Juliet. Anyway, I hope you all like this. It's different, I know. Hopefully not _too_ different ...

Oh, and to save myself the trouble, lazy me, this is all just one story. But hey, this makes it easier for everyone else too ... in some ... odd ... way. I guess.

---

Midori, the blonde haired maid, wasted no time in checking up on the story told to her. She had always been fascinated with the mysterious death of Gozaburo Kaiba and this was the perfect way to find out. She went to those such as the younger Kaiba, older employees of the Kaiba mansion, and even to the friends of Mr. Kaiba's late blonde haired lover ...

-

The room was slightly dark and dreary. This was the last think Midori had expected. The picture of Anzu Mazaki portrayed her was a bright, fun-loving, caring girl with an eternal smile. However, the woman now sitting across from her on a velvet lounge was more a sad individual. Compared to the girl in the photo, this woman had longer hair, duller eyes, and an overall depressed persona. It took Midori a few glances between her and the photo to get that they were the same person.

"I'm not the same person I was before, as I assume you can tell." Anzu said, noticing the girl's actions.

Midori jumped at the voice. She sounded as though the world had turned against her. Midori glanced up from the photo and, when Anzu held out her hand, obediently gave her the photo. A warmed feeling flooded Anzu as her blue eyes stayed glued to the picture.

"Look at me. I look so ..."

"Happy?"

Midori quickly provided her the word. Her eyes locked with Anzu's. It was almost like the word had left Anzu's vocabulary. Sadness filled the brown haired woman's features and she shook her head as though she were trying to stop herself from crying. She lifted her head high and smiled weakly, all signs of tears magically cleared away.

"I'm sorry. I guess I let my emotions get the better of me. What was it you came here for?"

"Oh, um, I wanted to know what you knew about Seto Kaiba and Jounouchi Katsuya's relationship."

"Seto Kaiba? Jou?" A brunette woman asked, fidgeting in her seat.

"That was so long ago. Why would someone want to know about _that_, of all things?" Anzu spat disgustingly, though she looked more apathetic than anything.

"Well ... I was just ... wondering ..." Midori started, but Anzu interrupted her.

"I remember him. We tried to be friends with him."

Midori, glad that she didn't have to explain herself, asked, "So what happened?"

"It was 10 years ago, but I know exactly what happened."

-

"_Hey, Kaiba. You wanna go to the arcade with us?" Yugi asked, his smile penetrating into Seto's mind._

_There was no way he'd be caught alive with them. _

"_No." He scoffed, "You think I want to be caught with the likes of you?"_

_Anzu looked taken back, "Yugi was only trying to be nice to you."_

"_Why? So he can call me rich boy too?"_

-

"And then he just turned on his heel and left. He had this look on his face."

Midori let the information soak in. Wasn't it supposed to go some other way?

"Well, thanks, I appreciate your-"

"Now that I think about it, after that Jou started following Seto. He would always say something and Seto would look embarrassed and push him away. They were really cute together. It was just that Gozaburo, always ..."

Midori stopped and sat back down, "Gozaburo?"

Anzu nodded, her now mid-back hair moving with her head. She turned to her side and lifted her legs onto the couch. Her face looked as though she were trying to remember something that happened back in her history books. Her voice suddenly broke the suspenseful silence.

"No matter what, Seto would always worry about what Gozaburo would say or do. In case you don't know, Gozaburo was-"

"His stepfather."

"Yes, his stepfather. I remember the first time I saw Gozaburo and Seto together. Poor Seto, he looked like a beaten puppy with its tail between its legs. It was like Seto was on a leash."

"Leash?" Midori's body straightened as she stared at the woman seated delicately across from her.

"If Gozaburo said to jump, Seto would jump."

The blonde girl sighed heavily. This Seto was nothing like the Seto she knew back at the Kaiba mansion. This Seto was scared and weak and needed more comfort than seemed could be given. The Seto she knew was a cold, hard, and independent man. He took orders from no one and refused to go down, if he ever did, without a fight.

"After Gozaburo found out about Jou, Seto disappeared for a few months. Jou was so worried about him. He felt so bad, almost like he thought it was his fault. Then, when Seto returned to school, he immediately had to leave again because he threatened to kill himself if he ever saw Jou again."

Another silence entered the room. Anzu's faintly aged face scrunched up as she thought about the past. It didn't look all too good from where Midori was sitting.

"It was after that when all the problems started." Anzu bitterly laughed at Midori's confused face, "You thought that was the problem? No, sweetie, there's more."

"More?"

"More. When Jou tried to get close to Seto, Seto would always run away. Then Jou cornered him one day and confronted him. Seto started loosening up a bit and then everything was back to normal. Well, there was a limit to how much it could be like back then."

"So, what about ..."

Midori's voice trailed off. Just plainly asking about Jou's death this way didn't seem appropriate. Anzu had been a close friend of his. Midori didn't want to make Anzu cry. She already looked sad enough ...

Anzu ignored Midori's fragment and added her own little side of the story, "Shortly after Jou's death, Yugi left the country for America. Me and Honda barely keep in touch. I can't even remember the last time I visited Jou's grave. I do know it sent chills up my spine and gave me the most horrible, unexplainable dreams. I wonder if _Seto_ visits Jou's grave ... Do you know?"

"Oh, no! I really have no idea. I'm just now finding out about this whole story."

"Then you've got a lot of catching up to do."

"I know. I was hoping it'd be easy to-"

Anzu spoke up against Midori's questioning voice, "It won't be easy. Kaiba made sure that no one would ever speak of this again. At least publically, I see."

"He doesn't even talk about it _himself_." Midori whispered under her breath.

---

-gasps- Well, I got it out to you, didn't I? I'm so happy! It's 6 1/2pages! This is more than I expected. I guess when you have to do all that describing, though it doesn't seem like I did a lot, it gets a lot longer.

Oh, and a lounge is that couch like thing that goes off on one side. You know that thing you lay on sideways that people take pictures in? At least, I think that's what its called ... Anyway, Anzu's all dark and dreary now. I don't know why, but I can see her in a black dress with longer hair and a depressed, almost blank look on her face. Oh well. The next chapter should be out soon. Sunday or Monday, maybe.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Bwaha. If anyone is actually reading this, I held this because I was tied over with end of the year stuff. Yes, I am out of school now. 2 months to myself and my computer. Good living, good living. ;D

---

Seto groaned, tossing his head back against the head of his chair. The glare of the computer screen gave his blank face an eerie glow. His azure eyes glanced around the room, only causing his head to ache even more. Not even coffee could get rid of this headache. He sat up and placed his fingers on the home keys of the keyboard. In the short second it took him to hear the knocking at the door and look, his heart skipped a beat. There on the corner of his desk, sticking out from a pile of possibly Kaiba Corp important papers and documents, was a picture of him and Jou. Ignoring the knocking at the door, Seto reached out and snatched the picture up.

It was a cute picture of them at their school's end of the year festival. A soaking wet Jou had his arm was draped over Seto's shoulder, his lips on Seto's blushing cheek. Seto was pushing him away, stains of water on his clothes showing Jou had tried hugging him before. In the background was Yugi, Anzu, and Honda along with some other friends of Jou's. Seto's eyes stayed glued to the picture. In the back of the brunette's mind, he remembered the events that took place not to long after the festival ended.

-

"_Gah, I'm so soaking wet!" Jou exclaimed, examining his more than just damp clothes._

"_Well, obviously. You shouldn't have volunteered for the dunking booth. What'd they do- drown you?" _

"You could say that. The purple-haired girl in your homeroom has a mean throwing arm. I ended up begging her not to go again."

_Seto chuckled lightly as Jou continued to go on about his time at the dunking booth. _

"_You're laughing, but I know what I'm gonna do next year."_

"_The dunking booth again?" _

"No! Of course not!"

"_Then what?" _

"A kissing booth. Yeah, 1000 yen a peck."

_Seto stopped laughing and frowned, "What?"_

_Jou grinned confidently, "Well, yeah. Who wouldn't pay to kiss this face?"_

"_I wouldn't." Seto hissed, adding a quicker pace to his walking and stomping off._

"_Oh, come on, Seto! You didn't really believe that, did you?"_

"_No!" _

"... Then what're you leaving me behind for?"

_Seto immediately stopped in mid step, glancing over his shoulder. The blonde behind him was obviously confused. Of course Seto had believed him! Who _wouldn't_ buy a kiss from him? Jou was the most handsome of the school, or at least Seto thought so. And as far as Seto was concerned, it was law to think good of Jou._ _Before Seto had the chance to move, Jou had caught up to him and was draped over Seto's shoulders. He planted a small kiss on Seto's neck before his lips moved up to Seto's ear._

"_I wouldn't do that, Seto. You know that."_

"_I know. I just ..."_

"_Why would I give away my kisses when they're all for you?"  
_

"_I ... I don't ..."_

"_Shhh, you. I'm trying to romance you."_

_Seto laughed under his breath and allowed Jou to place even more kisses on him. They walked down the sidewalk this way for a few minutes until the corner of the large Kaiba estate came into view._

_-_

The brunette man was still oblivious to the knocking on the door. His mind was on that one sunshine in his life. Shut out memories flooded his mind and before Seto could hold them back, small droplets of sadness ran down his cheek. All his sweet memories led straight to that day.

Damn Gozaburo. Why would he do something like that? Seto did his work. He did what he was told. What was wrong with having a little speck of happiness? Was Gozaburo so alone and cold that he just had to give Seto a taste of it too?

Jou had so much to live for. He had so many things he had wanted to do. Everything had to be fun for him. It just didn'tseem right.The boy may not have had his priorities in check, but at least he wasn't cooped up in some place, working all day. Seto sighed heavily at the thought,

'_Like I am right now. It's all Gozaburo's fault and he knows it!'_

Deep down, Seto wasn't really sure if Gozaburo had feared dying. After allhad beensaid and done and Seto was down there with the police, crying his heart and soul out, he had gotten the chance to see Gozaburo's face. It wasn't scrunched up in pain or anything like that. The man's face was actually smirking, or so it seemed to Seto. It was like Gozaburo _wanted_ Seto to kill him. As weird as it was, this was the story Seto was sticking too. When the media asked him, Seto said Gozaburo wanted to die. They all thought Seto himself was insane, but that wasn't what mattered to Seto. He wanted his Jou back. It wasn't fair that Gozaburo had taken that away from him. When Seto was concerned, Gozaburo deserved it.

"Mr. Kaiba! Are you alright in there?"

Seto snapped up from his reverie, standing from his seat and strolling to the door. When he opened the door, two of the maids feel to his feet. He stared down a them as they quickly jumped back up, straightening themselves out.

"Mr. Kaiba, are you okay? We've been trying to get your attention for nearly half an hour!"

Seto's face was no longer soft like it was behind those door as he retorted to the maids, "You make it sound like I was going to give you my attention."

The maids stayed quiet as Seto left the hall, down the stairs. One of them regarded the other, beyond confused.

"Wait, was Mr. Kaiba _crying_?"

---

This one was shorter than the last. But only by a little bit. Okay, by a lot.It was either long chapter and long wait or short chapter and quick update. I couldn't decide. Hehe ...

Anyway, like I said, I'm free from school now, so I've got all the time I need to really work on Shame. I think I can get the next chapter up in 3 days, at the most. If I don't, I'm just lazy.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hehe, I bet you can't guess who's next on Midori's list. D Well ... actually you probably can. But it's not Yugi tho! Hahaha! I gave blank the job I gave them because that's just what I can see them doing. There's nothing wrong with being a waiter. blank would actually look kind of cute in a waiter uniform ... Ohno! My fangirlism is showing! Eek!

---

Midori looked around the restaurant aimlessly. It was her off day and she planned to make the best of it. After all, if Seto Kaiba gave everyone a day off because he "needed to be alone," wouldn't you make the best of it too? However, it wasn't turning out so well. She had been seated far too long ago and didn't even have her drink. She wasn't one to get impatient, but this was just ridiculous. She grabbed her bag and jumped from the table. As she angrily stomped towards the front, a brunette waiter stopped her.

"How was your food, Ma'am?"

"I wish I could tell you, but I never got any!"

The waiter looked shocked and stopped Midori in her tracks, "I'll be your waiter, miss. Just return to your seat and I'll get straight to you."

Midori hesitantly thought about it. She had better things to do than wait for food. Mr. Kaiba's kitchen probably had better food than this! But the waiter's hazel eyes turned her around.

"Fine, but please hurry up."

Midori returned to her seat and was awarded with a smile from the waiter. She groaned and laid her head down on the table. A weird noise made its way to her eyes and she chuckled to herself. Her silent chuckling soon turned to full-blown laughter. A few people turned their heads to see what all the commotion was about and others didn't bother to look. Midori ignored them and sat back, her hands falling to her growling stomach.

"Oh my god, what am I doing?"

"Ordering your food, I hope."

Midori's eyes adverted up to the voice's source and she stared at the waiter. He hovered over her, smiling. His smile was handsome, but in a way, he looked to be faking it a little bit. He quickly took out the little pad and pen and waited. Midori shook her head. The man looked so familiar, it was weird. Where had she seen him before … ?

"Well?"

"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't even looked at the menu."

"That's alright, I'll just come back in a few minutes."

"Hey, wait!"

Midori reached out to stop him. He turned and watched her, looking at her like she was crazy.

"You- what's your name?"

"Honda."

"H-Hiroto Honda?" The man turned completely and stared at her.

She stared back, the answer coming to her. This Honda was the boy in the picture! He was the boy who was Jounouchi's best friend. Midori registered in her mind the changes the man had gone through. Like Anzu, he was no longer as bright-eyed. He looked more meek and cold. It seemed to Midori that all of Jou's surviving friends had turned this way.

"Who are you?" Honda asked, his eyes turning hard.

"My name is Midori and I'm looking into the Jounouchi Katsuya case."

"Case? There was no case. Jou's dead and it's all Kaiba's fault. The end."

"Please! I-"

"I'll get you a menu."

Midori sighed as Honda turned on his heel and left. She hadn't meant to make him mad. She just wanted to know what he thought. A few minutes later, the brunette returned and slammed the menu on the table. Midori was shocked as Honda sat down in the booth and looked at her. He suddenly began to talk.

"They were only together for a few months. I didn't like it. Kaiba just wasn't that type of person. In my opinion … Jou deserved better than that …"

Midori smiled, "You were really fond of him, weren't you?"

Honda flushed and looked away, "Jou was my best friend. It's only natural that I think no one's good enough for him. Not even … me."

"That's so cute," Midori chimed, clapping her hands together, "He must have been very lucky to have friends like you and Anzu and-"

"You've talked to Anzu?"

"Well, yes. Just a week ago, I think. She mentioned you and I instantly thought to come visit you. I never expected to find you so quickly though."

"How is she?"

"She's … good."

Honda gave a long breath before slowly replying, "We've all just falling apart, as I'm sure you know. Jou was one of the links between us. I always thought Yugi was the reason, but I guess now losing one can make us all pathetically distant."

Midori lowered her head as Honda looked out the window, "I was wondering-"

"Who to talk to next?"

"Oh, well, that would help me too."

"I'm not sure how you can get in touch with Yugi. I'm sure Anzu's told you how he moved to the States."

"I heard. I was hoping I could get a phone number."

"I'm not completely sure, but I think he's staying with Ryuuji Otogi."

"The creator of DDM?"

"Yeah, him."

"You … you all knew him?" Midori cried in disbelief; even with more than all her time taken up at the Kaiba mansion, she loved to play that game.

"Yeah, we went to high school with him. He and Kaiba didn't get along to well. But that's because he was always trying to get in Jou's pants. I didn't even like him too much. He was a good guy, just … well, you know."

Midori shook her head, signaling that she really had no clue. Right now she was really trying to find out how in the world she could get a call into the home of Otogi Ryuuji.

Honda chuckled weakly and stood up from the booth. "You know what? I think it would be best if you talked to the closet ones to them. Try talking to Jounouchi Shizuka or Mokuba Kaiba."

"Master Mokuba? He was just barely learning to count past ten at the time, what would he know?"

"I think you're under estimating Mokuba. The only person Kaiba talked to more than Jou, was his little brother. Actually, I think he talked to Mokuba more than Jou."

"I'm not sure. Master Mokuba is often off on tutoring lessons and KaibaCorp trips. He's training to become the next heir of KaibaCorp, you know."

"All that on him at such a young age. He should be out playing … with his friends."

Midori smiled, "Don't worry. He gets enough of that, whether you believe it or not."

Honda beamed, "Really, I should be getting back to work. But thank you."

"For what?"

"I guess even I just needed someone to talk to."

---

Aw! I just want to hug Honda now. xD Anyway, I noticed the weirdest thing. When I'm writing fanfiction, I envision it in my head. So at the end I seem to always end it with a statement or someone saying something because to me that's the typical ending of a show. Gah, I'm so predictable.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I only have this chapter out so soon after the last one because I was up all night, caffeinated. Soda will do that to you. –shudder- Anyway, another Seto chapter. I hope I'm not the only one noticing a pattern. … Didn't I talk about this pattern like two chapters ago? Ugh, this is what I get for having author's notes.

I like this chapter especially because, well … you'll find out soon enough. Crazed fangirl on the loose. This flips back and forth from present to past. During the memory, we'll be reading about present Seto! Or something like that ... you'll understand when you read it.

-watches rating go up- Wow, I am good, huh? -rating stops- Ah, screw you, rating. -pout-

---

The water dripped over his skin and fell to his feet. He rubbed his foot on the shower floor, the texture tickling the arch of his foot. Seto turned the water from hot to mild. He had succeeded in staying up all night and not getting any sleep. He had finished his paper and immediately rolled into the next day by taking a shower. And where had that led him? To memories of Jou.

He had only one memory of Jou that had to do with a shower. He remembered it quite well too. Gozaburo had to go away on business. The man was so cold-hearted that he had to take Seto with him and keep the boy locked away in a hotel room.

-

"_I'll be back, Seto. So don't try anything and don't you dare move from that spot."_

_Seto nodded as his stepfather stared him down before leaving. Gozaburo must have had quite a lot of confidence in his "parenting skills" seeing as how he didn't bother locking the door. And he didn't have to. Seto sat there on the bed, quiet and still. It was like he was chained to the bedside._

"_Hey!" _

Seto's head snapped up and his eyes locked on the direction the voice had come from. Someone was at the door. Seto shifted, remembering what Gozaburo said. He couldn't move. The knocking was insistent. Seto couldn't take it anymore. He jumped from the bed and raced to the door, snatching the door open.

"_What do you- Jou …"_

_Seto was speechless. There, in the doorway, stood the boy who made his heart stop. His hair was tousled and messy. His eyes were droopy and one even had a black ring around it as though he had gotten in a fight, but smiling nonetheless. His school uniform was also torn a certain parts. Patches of dirt or dust was on him, like he had been thrown around or stepped. _

"_You wouldn't believe the shit I just went through to see you."_

_Seto didn't even have a chance to say anything. Jou attacked his lips in a searing kiss. His hands fell to Seto's slim hips. Seto pulled away for a short second._

"_You're not supposed to be here."_

"_Shut up."_

_Seto laughed as Jou took over his lips again. Jou's hand slipped lower and lifted Seto's leg to wrap around his waist. Seto's fingers dug into the blonde's neck in reaction to the sudden move of Jou's foot. They hopped around a little, trying to catch their balance, still clinging to each other. Somewhere along the line, Seto couldn't remember, they ended up in the bathroom, in the shower, soaking wet. _

_-_

The memory in Seto's mind was driving him insane. He remembered that day. He could easily still feel Jou's breath on his neck. The fiery passion that made his body freeze. The hands that caressed his needy body. The tongue that ravished his mouth. Seto's mouth fell open in shock as a lightening sort of passion shot through him. His hands slowly traveled down his built torso and stopped to wrap around his hard length. His skin instantly heated up, especially his face, creating a full-body blush.

-

_Jou shuddered, his forehead against Seto's, "Now this is a cold shower."_

"_You needed one?" Seto giggled, his hands now planted on the sides of Jou's face. _

"_Being around someone as hot as you? It's a surprise I don't stay in the shower all day."_

"_Hm, now you can make up for it and cool off so I don't burn you to a crisp."_

_The two laughed cheerfully. The laughter was music to Seto's ears. He had never quite felt so happy in his life, not that he could remember. The merry laughter died down and they were once again caught in each other's gaze. Seto could feel his face growing hot as Jou's gaze became insistent and unwavering. _

"_Stop that!" Seto suddenly yelped, turning away from Jou._

_The blond stared at him even more. Jou was confused at Seto's actions, but Seto thought that he knew perfectly well what he was doing. It was embarrassing to have someone look at him like that. For most of his 16 years it had been a sweet smile from Mokuba, a blank look from a maid, or a death glare from Gozaburo. But never had anyone looked at him quite like Jou did. Even though it made Seto feel good, it was also extremely awkward._

"_What'd I do?" _

"That- that look."

"_What look?"  
_

"_You were staring at me."_

_-_

He wished that those eyes could be on him again. In the back of his head, Seto imagined those amber bedroom eyes. Seto shuddered, his back sliding lower on the slippery shower wall. He stroked himself slowly, small yelps an purrs erupting form his throat. His hands felt like Jou's had, gentle, though firm. He whimpered the name of his late would be lover and just barely heard the echo.

"Jou ..."

The water seemed to go from mild back to hot. Didn't he just turn it down? The thought left Seto's mind as his stroking hand changed pace to a faster motion. He cried out, his other hand gripping at the tiled wall. Was this what Jou had wanted to do to him so badly? Why in the world had he stopped him?

-

_There was a silence before Jou burst out in a fit of mocking laughter. Seto turned completely from him. Their soaking wet clothes and destroyed hair didn't seem to matter anymore._

"_And that's a bad thing? I was complimenting you, Seto. I was staring at you because I can't take my eyes off you."_

_Seto's blush got darker and he bit down a shudder as Jou pulled him into an embrace, his head on the brunette's shoulder. Sly hands skillfully undid Seto's white, now see-through, dress shirt. A moan tore from Seto as Jou's hands played on the defined stomach and torso and a wet muscle caressed his neck. Jou whispered in Seto's ear, gently nibbling at the shell all the while._

"_You may not believe it, but Gozaburo knows how beautiful you are. He's just so jealous of you that he stains you to make him feel better. Don't worry, Seto. I promise I'll get you out of this. Gozaburo can't lock away your beauty forever."_

_Seto sighed, the dramatic air was suffocating him. He knew in his mind that Jou was right. But it was hard trying to live under something that wasn't Gozaburo's law. It was all so different when he saw people doing things Gozaburo would frown upon for days. It was so different to have met someone like Jou. It was different to have a boyfriend who loved you. _

"_He's a bastard. Treating you like this. He doesn't deserve to live."_

_Seto looked at Jou when the violent words floated to his ears. He had never heard Jou say something about someone dying. Especially not about how someone doesn't deserve to live. It was a side he had never seen of Jou. He quickly tore away from Jou's embrace. Jou took hold of Seto's arms just to hold a connection to the other boy. _

"_What? Jou stop saying that. Gozaburo may be-"_

"_Seto! Have you looked at your back? You look like a bleeding zebra! That man is dangerous. If you're not careful ..." _

_There was another long and chilling silence. But this one was more depressing. They couldn't even look at each other's eyes. It was Seto who finally broke the silence._

_-_

"Ahh! Ooh ..."

Seto bit his lip and cried out again, louder this time, as he was not only brought to his peak, but practically thrown over it. He finally fell to the shower ground, out of breath and drained of the energy he had been needing for the rest of the day.

"God, Jou ... I miss you so much."

-

"_Look at us. We're soaking wet." _

_He chuckled weakly before stepping out of the shower and leaving Jou in the bathroom._ _Jou followed him and caught up, stopping Seto. Sad azure orbs clashed with upset amber. Jou have a rough tug at Seto's wrist, forcing the boy against him. Seto stared up at Jou pleadingly, silently begging him to let go._

"_Seto, listen to me."_

"_Let go. You're hurting me."_

"_Listen to me!" _

"No! Let go!"

"_Seto! Please! Just listen!"_

_Seto quieted down and watched Jou, waiting for him to say what was so important._

"_I'm begging you. Run away with me."_

"_You must be kidding. I thought we were on the same level of seriousness, but I can clearly see now- we're not." Seto snatched his wrist from Jou and turned away, starting for the suite. _

"_I'm not joking, Seto. Run away with me. We'll leave and go to anywhere you wanna go. I just want to get you far away from Gozaburo."_

"_You just don't realize, do you? Gozaburo is god. He knows where I am, he knows where I want to go, and he knows where I will be. I can't get away from him. There's no use. Get back from Cloud 9 and come to reality. I can _never_ leave Gozaburo."_

_The brunette kept walking towards the couch, but Jou stopped walking. He crossed his arms across his chest and held down the urge to slap Seto. The boy was so chained. How hard could it be to break free? Was Gozaburo really that powerful? Had he actually brainwashed Seto into fearing him as a god?_

"_Did you just call him god?"  
_

_-_

Had he called him god? The thought that he did call Gozaburo, of all people, god was quite creepy to Seto. But he knew all too well that back then, he was so much more meek than he was now. With that, Seto quickly hopped out of the shower and grabbed his towel, leaving for his bedroom.

- _  
_

_"Well, what else was I supposed to call him? I cant call him by his name; I'd be 'disrespectful'. I can't call him my guardian; I'd sound as though I felt I was just a 'responsibility.' And I sure as hell can't call him Daddy."_

_Jou sat down on the long couch and scooted closer. Seto gasped as he was then pushed down on the couch and, in the blink of an eye, underneath Jou._

"_What- What are you doing?" _

"I want to make you feel special, Seto. No one ever does anything special for you. I want to change that."

_Although Seto had never been, er ... touched, so to speak, he had read those books through and through. Jou was looking to get in his pants. And sure, he wanted to just as much as his advancing boyfriend. But Seto was still far behind in mental status. While Jou was thinking about all that mind-blowing sex, Seto was still in fear of Gozaburo. What would Gozaburo say? What would he do?_ _Just as Jou unbuttoned Seto's pants, Seto gave a loud protest._

"_Wait! Jou, I ..."_

"_I understand."_

"_You do?" _

Jou nodded and placed a sweet kiss on the brunette's forehead, "I'd wait forever and a day for you_, Seto."_

"_For me?" Seto repeated, blushing as Jou took his hands in his._

"Only_ for you." _

_-_

Seto sighed and did the most un-Seto Kaiba thing he could do at the moment- he plopped on his bed and cried.

---

Eee! I promise I'll stop making you cry, Seto! I promise! -dodges Super Seto Punch- You wouldn't hit a _girl_, would you? ... I thought so. Anyway, I know I keep making Seto cry. I can't help it! He's just so ... gah, I don't know. It's just something about a crying Seto that makes my fangirlism show. Kind of like Honda as a waiter!

I'm mostly shocked that I got two chapters up in one day. I know it says the 3rd of June I updated and it actually is. But my mental day schedule is far beyond complex. I'm waited untilthe next day (today) to post this so it won't seem like I rushed. Besides, why make you all wait for the rating raiser? -evil cackle-

This thing is 12 f---ing pages! **12**! Can I believe it? No, I can't. I used double-spacing and a large font in OpenOffice. I like to boost my ego; who doesn't?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I spent a while thinking about where to take this plot. Not saying I'm ending it so soon, oh no. We've got, at the moment, … 6 more chapters left. That's what? A total of 12 chapters? My longest yet! ;3 I knew Seto angst would get me somewhere!

Speaking of Seto angst, I'm not allowed to make Seto cry as much as I am. He says it's making him seem like a mouse of a CEO. Heh, mice can be cute, Seto.

---

Midori fidgeted as her brunette boss passed by her. It was rare for her to see the CEO, much less while she was plotting something. After he had left and the hall was once again vacant, she rushed to the last door on the end of the hall and quickly entered, closing the door behind her. She reached over and flipped the switch, shedding light on her surroundings.

Desk, papers, laptop, shelfs of books- oh, yes, this was diffidently Mr. Kaiba's study. She really wasn't supposed to here. But she couldn't call from any other phone in the mansion because those others were destined to find her. No one ever, ever just walked into Mr. Kaiba's study. It just didn't happen. Midori locked the door and walked lightly over to the desk. She thought for a few minutes if she should sit down in the oversized leather chair or if she should just stand. Her aching feet from below reminded her that she had been on her feet all day. In the back of her head, she just told herself it was a reward for her hard work.

Without hesitation, Midori plopped down in the leather chair, sighing as she nearly sunk into it. She could tell by the body imprint that Mr. Kaiba spent most of his time in this chair. She took the phone up and dialed the number written on her hand. She had done some research the other day and easily found the number to Otogi Ryuuji's home in America. There were 3 short rings before a voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Is this the Otogi residence?"

"I would think it is."

"Is … is Ryuuji there?"

"What can I do for you?"

Midori forgot about her original reason for calling and began to ramble on. The man on the other end listened, not too well though, to Midori. Finally the girl was worn out and she remembered her first intention.

"Mr. Otogi, Ryuuji-sama, I originally called to ask you if Yugi Muto was there."

"He's here. Why do you ask?"

"I need to talk to him … about the Jounouchi Katsuya case."

"… Hmm, I've been kind of curious about that myself. Yugi doesn't say much about that."

"I was told to call him by an old friend, Honda."

"Honda? When did you talk to him?"

"Just recently."

"What did he tell you?"

"That Yugi was living with you. He said you were a good guy, but you were always …"

"What?"

"Always trying to get in Jounouchi's pants."

"It figures he'd say something like that. Look, if you were there at the time, you'd be trying the same thing. But Kaiba kept stopping me. At the time, I would have given anything to be with that blond-haired wonder boy. But then I got my reply from Pegasus and I had to pursue my game. Kaiba's lucky, I would have had him wrapped around my finger."

Midori laughed at this and smiled, playing with some of the papers on the desk, "I guess he is lucky!"

"You know, we've just been rambling on and on, I forgot to get Yugi for you."

"Oh, I never even noticed."

"Let me go get him. Just a second."

Midori waited as she was put on hold, but only for a few minutes as the soft voice of what she thought Yugi would sound like rang in her ear.

"Hello?"

"Yugi?"

"Who's this?"

"My name is Midori. I'm calling to ask you about the Jounouchi Katsuya case."

"Hm."

"From what I've heard, you were his best friend. So I thought you could give me the best insight."

"Really? I'm afraid all I can tell you is that I wanted Jou to be happy. While everyone else was upset about Jou being with Kaiba-kun, I thought it was nice. No one seemed to pay Kaiba much attention at the time- or ever! Jou was very sweet to him. I remember shortly after they, um … 'got together' Jou even went to the other side of the country for him."

"Wow!"

"Wow is what I said. Jou really loved him. I'm not sure if Kaiba-kun loved Jou the same. No one is. It was normally Jou who showed all the affection."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, um ..."

"Midori."

"Midori-chan!"

"Did they ever … you know."

"Err … I'm afraid I don't."

"Did they ever have sex?"

Yugi chuckled under his breath at Midori's embarressed voice, "Actually, I'm not sure. I do know that every time Jou tried, Kaiba denied him. But that was only because of Gozaburo. I'm sure you've heard many things about _him_."

"I have. He didn't sound like the best father figure."

"He wasn't. He left huge marks on Kaiba's back. I remember one time it was in last school festival before we graduated. Jou had talked Seto into trying for the swim contest. When he got out there, he was wearing a t-shirt over his trunks and Jou was trying to get him to take it off. Seto didn't want to, but Jou cornered him and got the shirt. He sent him out there, but by the time he saw the marks, it was too late. Everyone else had seen them too. Everyone started gossiping about it and Seto ran back in the building."

"That's horrible!"

"Jou was only trying to help."

"I know, but I meant the marks. How could Gozaburo be so cruel?"

"I don't know. But Jou thought the same thing. He said he'd make Gozaburo pay. And at one point, he even tried to act on his threat."

"When?"

"About a few months before ... the fall. He snuck out in the middle of the night and tried to break into the mansion. The bodyguards got him though. He was only inches from Gozaburo's door. After they beat him up and threw him out, he ran to my house. You may not know, but going back home was not one of Jou's options."

"... Why?"

"Although Jou was always carrying on about Seto, he too had some family problems. His mother and father were divorced and his sister lived with his mother. I'm not sure if the divorce is what caused it, but Jou's dad wasn't the best of parents."

"You sound like your putting it lightly."

"I am. Seto never found out about it until the funeral. He was so mad at Jou for not telling him. I heard him talking to himself, saying he'd gladly have done anything for Jou. But I guess that's why they made such a great couple- they were coming from similar situations."

"Hmm …"

There was another long silence as Midori listened to Yugi's hitched breathing. It was horrible. The stories and rumors she had heard were no lie- Gozaburo Kaiba was a horrible man who deserved what he got! Sorrow filled her heart; how could Mr. Kaiba possibly keep going on in life? She knew in her own heart she would have killed herself or had a nervous breakdown long ago.

"I'm sorry, Midori, wasn't it? I have to go. I'll be late for work. Ryuuji forgives me far too many times already."

"You work for him?"

"After I came to America, I had nothing. It was only by a small shard of luck that I ran into him. He let me move in with him and even start working for him. I owe him more than I'll be able to give."

"Wow … he really went out on a limb for you, huh?"

"Yes, he has. And because of that, I really need to go."

Midori smiled in the back of her head, "Of course. And Yugi? Thank you. Most people wouldn't be up to talking about something like this."

"I guess I've gotten a handle on it. I used to be so hurt. But nonetheless …"

"I'm sorry! I just keep holding you up. Once again, thank you, Yugi. Bye."

"Of course! Bye, Midori-chan."

Midori hung up the phone and sat back in the leather chair. She laid her head back on the cushioning and rested her mind. She had been so interested in the case in the beginning, but now … it just seemed too much. If only she had just not listened to that old maid. If only she hadn't- what was that? Midori adverted her eyes back to the flashing window on Mr. Kaiba's laptop. Mr. Kaiba had mail. And Midori was just kind enough to read it for him. After reading just the first line, she diagnosed it was boring, CEO junk.

"Oh, well. I guess … while I'm here … I could just …"

Midori's sudden curiosity blinded her. She was in the study of one of the richest and youngest multibillionaires of the world. She was sitting at the laptop that held all the secrets of his business, and possibly life. Who wouldn't be taking over by curiosity? Who wouldn't rummage through all his files? The screen's reflected light bounced off the walls, changing shades every few minutes. Within half an hour, Midori had successfully discovered the plans for Kaibalands future rides, the next installment in the Kaiba branches, and even Mr. Kaiba's … _journal_? Midori jumped high as there was a sudden banging at the door. Mr. Kaiba's voice boomed and filtered through the thick wood and Midori's heart beat rapidly. She hadn't planned on him coming back so soon!

"Who's in here?"

Midori quickly opened the CD copying program and began the download. She just couldn't leave something like _Mr. Kaiba's journal_ behind. She lowered the laptop closed and rushed over to the door, whipping out her duster in the process. She swung the door open and instantly froze under the deadly stare of those azure eyes. She had quite some trouble stuttering out her apology.

"I-I … I'm sorry, M-Mr. Kaiba. I must have- I must have acc-accidentally locked the door."

"Of course you did. _Accidentally_."

Midori let out a small breath of air as the brunette brushed past her for the second time that day. She turned her head, wishing with all her might that he wouldn't go to his laptop. And to her luck, he just grabbed a book off the shelf. He then started towards the door.

"Don't _ever_ lock me out of my _own_ study again."

She nodded frantically and once he had left, she ran over to the laptop and snatched the CD out. Not bothering to do anymore, the blonde raced out of the study, the CD secure in her hand.

---

Oh, it's getting juicy now, isn't it? It's Seto's journal. ;D The perfect way to turn a story around, no? I'm sorry this took so long to get out. I've been really into Gaia and Sorry, sorry. Atleast I got it out, right? Heh.


End file.
